1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector fitting construction in which a half-fitted condition is positively prevented by a resilient force of a resilient member mounted in a housing of at least one of a pair of female and male connectors to be fitted and connected together, and also the connector, fitted on the mating connector can be locked positively and easily.
2. Related Art
Usually, many electronic equipments for effecting various controls are mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and end portions of wires of wire harnesses are connected to the electronic equipments through various female and male connectors. In view of an assembling operation and the maintenance, the female and male connectors are so constructed as to easily connect and disconnect the wire harness.
Also, various half-fitting prevention connectors for detecting a fitted condition of the female and male connectors have been used, and for example, there is known a half-fitting prevention connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,399.
This conventional half-fitting prevention connector will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13.
As shown in FIG. 10, a male connector 1 (one of a pair of male and female connectors 1 and 2) comprises a housing 3, and this housing 3 includes a connector housing 3a, which has a terminal receiving chamber (in the form of a through hole) for receiving a predetermined number of socket contacts, and also has a terminal insertion port open to its front side, and an exclusive-use housing 3b provided above the connector housing 3a so as to slidably receive a slider 10 (described later).
The exclusive-use housing 3b is provided to form a slider receiving portion 4, and extends in a fitting direction, and is open upwardly. Guide grooves 5 for respectively guiding opposite side portions of a slider body 11 are formed respectively in opposite side portions of the exclusive-use housing 3b. A spring receiving portion 3c of a tubular shape is formed at a rear end of each of the guide grooves 5.
A lock arm (elastic member) 6 of the cantilever type is formed integrally with the exclusive-use housing 3b at a widthwise-central portion thereof, and extends in the fitting direction. A lock beak 7, having a slanting surface, is formed on an upper surface of the lock arm 6, and a housing lock 8 for retaining engagement with a female housing 21 (described later) is formed on a lower surface of the lock arm 6 at a distal end thereof. Displacement prevention projections 8a for preventing the displacement of the lock arm 6 are formed on the upper surface of the lock arm 6, and face away from the housing lock 8.
Side spaces 4a for respectively receiving abutment projections 14 of a slider arm 12 (described later) are formed at opposite sides of the lock arm 6, respectively.
The slider 10 has the elastic slider arm 12 of the cantilever type provided within the slider body 11 at a generally central portion thereof, and the pair of abutment projections 14 are formed respectively at opposite side portions of a lower surface of the slider arm 12 at a front end portion thereof. The slider 10 also includes a pressing portion 15, which is formed on an upper surface thereof at a rear end thereof, and is operated when canceling the fitting connection, and a slide groove 13 formed in the slider arm 12 and the pressing portion 15. Spring retaining portions 16 for respectively retaining compression springs 9 are formed respectively at opposite side portions of a lower portion of the slider body 11 at the rear end thereof. A displacement prevention portion 17 for preventing the displacement of the lock arm 6 is formed at the front end of the slider body 11.
The female connector (the other connector) 2 includes a terminal receiving chamber (in the form of a through hole) for receiving a predetermined number of pin contacts, and has a housing insertion port 26 open to its front side. The female connector 2 includes a pair of stopper projections 22, which are formed on an upper surface of the housing 21 so as to abut respectively against the abutment projections 14 of the slider 10 during the connector-fitting operation, a slanting projection 23, which is provided between the stopper projections 22, and has a slanting surface for flexing (elastically deforming) the lock arm 6, and an engagement groove 24 which is formed at a rear side of the slanting projection so as to be engaged with the housing lock 8.
First, the slider 10 of FIG. 10 is mounted on the male connector 1. More specifically, when the slider 10, having the compression springs 9 held respectively on the spring retaining portions 16, is pushed into the slider receiving portion 4 of the male connector 1 from the front side thereof, the slider body 11 moves rearward along the guide grooves 5. At this time, the abutment projections 14, formed respectively at the opposite side portions of the lower surface of the slider arm 12 of the slider 10, are received respectively in the side spaces 4a formed respectively at the opposite sides of the lock arm 6. Then, the compression springs 9 are received in the spring receiving portions 3c, respectively, and the lock beak 7 on the lock arm 6 is fitted in the slide groove 13 in the slider 10, so that the slider 10 is slidably mounted.
In the above condition, the slider 10 is urged forward by the resilient force of the compression springs 9, and the front end of the pressing portion 15 is retainingly held against the lock beak 7 received in the slide groove 13, and the displacement prevention projections 8a, formed at the distal end of the lock arm 6, abut against the displacement prevention portion 17 formed on the lower surface of the slider 10 at the front end thereof, thereby preventing the upward displacement of the lock arm 6.
Then, the socket contacts 30 (see FIG. 11), each clamped to an end portion of a wire, are inserted into the housing 3 from the rear side thereof, and are retained by housing lances formed within the terminal receiving chamber, and a double-retaining holder is attached to the housing.
The pin contacts 31 (see FIG. 11), each clamped to an end portion of a wire, are inserted into the housing 21 of the female connector 2 from the rear side thereof, and are retained by housing lances formed within the terminal receiving chamber, and a double-retaining holder is attached to the housing.
Next, the operation for fitting the male and female connectors 1 and 2 (constituting the connector fitting construction of this embodiment) together will be described.
When the operation for fitting the male and female connectors together is started as shown in FIG. 11, the stopper projections 22 of the female connector 2 are inserted respectively into the side spaces 4a (see FIG. 10), formed respectively at the opposite sides of the lock arm 6 of the male connector 1, and generally-vertical abutment surfaces (front surfaces) of these stopper projections 22 generally fully abut respectively against generally-vertical abutment surfaces (front surfaces) of the abutment projections 14 of the slider. From this time on, the resilient force of the compression springs 9 is produced. At this stage, the pin contacts 31, mounted in the female connector 2, are not yet fitted respectively in the socket contacts 30 mounted in the male connector 1.
Then, when the fitting operation proceeds, the slider 10 is pushed rearwardly against the bias of the compression springs 9 (see FIG. 10), so that the housing lock 8, formed at the distal end of the lock arm 6, abuts against the slanting projection 23 of the female connector 2. At this stage, the pin contacts 31 are inserted respectively into the socket contacts 30, but are not disposed in complete electrical contact therewith.
If the pushing operation is stopped in this half-fitted condition, the male and female connectors 1 and 2 are returned or moved away from each other (that is, in a disconnecting direction opposite to the fitting direction) by the resilient force of the compression springs 9, and therefore such half-fitted condition can be easily detected.
Then, when the fitting operation further proceeds, the slider arm 12 of the slider 10 is flexed (elastically deformed) upwardly by the lock beak 7, so that the abutment engagement of the stopper projections 22 with the abutment projections 14 of the slider 10 is canceled, as shown in FIG. 12. Then, the slider arm 12 slides over the stopper projections 22 under the influence of the compression springs 9, and also the housing lock 8, formed at the distal end of the lock arm 6, slides over the slanting projection 23, and is engaged in the engagement groove 24.
Then, when the slider 10 is returned to the initial position under the influence of the compression springs 9 as shown in FIG. 13, the displacement prevention portion 17 of the slider 10 abuts against the displacement prevention projections 8a of the lock arm 6, so that the lock arm 6 is locked, and the male and female connectors 1 and 2 are held in a completely-fitted condition, and the contacts 30 are completely connected to the contacts 31, respectively.
Therefore, in the above connector fitting construction of fitting the male and female connectors 1 and 2 together, a half-fitted condition is prevented by the resilient force of the compression springs 9, and also the fitted condition can be easily detected through the sense of touch, obtained during the fitting operation, and also by viewing the position of the slider 10.
Since the slider arm 12 is provided within the slider body 11, the slider 10 can be formed into a small size. Since the abutment projections 14 of the slider 10 are received respectively in the side spaces 4a, provided respectively at the opposite sides of the lock arm 6, at least the male connector 1, having the slider 10 mounted therein, can be reduced in size.
In the above construction of fitting the male and female connectors 1 and 2 together, although a half fitted condition can be prevented, the generally-vertical abutment surfaces of the stopper projections 22 of the female connector 2 generally fully abut respectively against the generally-vertical abutment surfaces of the abutment projections 14 of the slider 10, as shown in FIG. 11.
In this condition, the slider arm 12, while being flexed upwardly, slides over the abutment surfaces of the stopper projections 22 as shown in FIG. 12, and therefore the large fitting force, which also must overcome the resilient force of the compression springs 9, is required until the abutment projections 14 completely slide over the stopper projections 22, thus inviting a problem that the efficiency of the operation is prevented from being further enhanced.
And besides, when the fitting force becomes large, a large load acts on the slider arm 12 of the cantilever type, and there is a possibility that the elastic slider arm 12 is plastically deformed, thus inviting a problem that the fitting operation can not be positively effected.
Furthermore, the apex portion of each abutment projection 14, as well as the apex portion of each stopper projection 22, has an acute angle, and therefore when the fitting force becomes large, these apex portions are chipped or damaged, thus inviting a problem that the fitting connection can not be properly detected after the first fitting operation.
With the above problems in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a connector fitting construction in which a half-fitted condition is positively detected during a fitting connection between a pair of female and male connectors, and the two connectors can be smoothly fitted together with a relatively-low inserting force.
The above object of the present invention has been achieved by a connector fitting construction wherein a half-fitted condition of a pair of female and male connectors is prevented by a resilient force of a resilient member received in a housing of one of the two connectors:
wherein a slider is slidably supported within the housing, and when the one connector is to be fitted relative to the other connector, the slider cooperates with the resilient member to flex a lock arm of a cantilever-type, mounted on the housing, so as to retainingly engage the lock arm with the other connector; and
wherein a slanting projection, having a front slanting surface, is formed on an upper surface of a housing of the other connector, and an engagement groove for engagement with an engagement projection, formed at a distal end of the lock arm, is formed at a rear end of the slanting projection; provided in that:
a pair of abutment projections are formed respectively at opposite side portions of a lower surface of an elastic arm provided at the slider;
a pair of stopper projections are formed on the upper surface of the housing of the other connector, and are pressed respectively against the abutment projections during a connector fitting operation to move the slider toward a rear end of the one connector; and
an abutment surface of a generally trapezoidal shape is formed on a front surface of at least one of each abutment projection and each stopper projection.
In the above connector fitting construction, preferably, the abutment surface of the abutment projection is a slanting surface which is slanting downwardly rearwardly, and the abutment surface of the stopper projection is a slanting surface which is slanting downwardly forwardly.
In the above connector fitting construction, preferably, each of the abutment projections, as well as each of the stopper projections, has a curved surface at its apex portion.
In the above connector fitting construction of the present invention, the pair of abutment projections are formed respectively at the opposite side portions of the lower surface of the elastic arm provided at the slider, and the pair of stopper projections are formed on the upper surface of the housing of the other connector, and are pressed respectively against the abutment projections during the connector fitting operation to move the slider toward the rear end of the one connector, and the abutment surface of a generally trapezoidal shape is formed on the front surface of at least one of each abutment projection and each stopper projection.
Therefore, the abutment surface on the front surface of each stopper projection is first abutted against the abutment surface on the front surface of the associated abutment projection of the slider, and then as the abutment projection slides over the abutment surface of the stopper projection in accordance with the upward flexing of the elastic arm, the area of contact between the two decreases gradually. Therefore, a frictional force due to the sliding movement of the abutment projection over the stopper projection is reduced gradually, and the fitting force, required for fitting the female and male connectors together, can be reduced, and the fitting operation can be smoothly effected with the relatively-low inserting force.
In the case where the abutment surface of the abutment projection is the downwardly rearwardly-slanting surface while the abutment surface of the stopper projection is the downwardly forwardly-slanting surface, the load, acting on the elastic arm, can be further reduced, and therefore the deformation of the elastic arm is prevented, and the abutting engagement of the abutment projection with the stopper projection can be canceled accurately at the predetermined position.
Therefore, a half-fitted condition of the female and male connectors can be detected more positively, and the fitting force, required for the fitting operation, can be further reduced, and the fitting operation can be smoothly effected with the lower inserting force.
In the case where each abutment projection as well as each stopper projection has the curved surface at its apex portion, the apex portion will not be chipped or damaged when the abutment projection slides over the stopper projection, and even when the fitting and disconnecting operations are repeatedly effected, a half-fitted condition can be detected positively. Therefore, there can be obtained the female and male connectors which can be smoothly fitted together, and have excellent durability and reliability.